


As A Lodger, Mind You

by amoama



Category: Bomb Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 15:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/787474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amoama/pseuds/amoama
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lorna is working hard for this pairing!</p>
            </blockquote>





	As A Lodger, Mind You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [surexit](https://archiveofourown.org/users/surexit/gifts).



> Written for an "arranged marriage" prompt in celebration of Surexit achieving a Trope Bingo blackout! Woohoooo. And posted here because: Betty/Reggie.

The first inkling Betty has about it is when Lorna won’t stop asking how her house’s getting along. Lorna loves the idea, Lorna keeps offering to donate old furniture to Betty’s soon-to-exist house, Lorna wants to help her host welcome-to-the-neighbourhood buffets. Lorna wonders how hard it will be for Betty to keep a house like that up together if you live alone. (Lorna doesn’t realise that living alone means less to keep up with than living with a husband and three children). 

The second hint that some conniving is in the works, is Lorna inviting Betty for drinks (fairly eyebrow-raising) and then only inviting Reggie along with them not the other girls. Then Lorna doing it again, and then Lorna having to dash out to wait for the phone to ring because her neighbour’s out and can’t do it. 

It’s not that Betty minds, it’s nothing that a mystified shrug won’t cover. Reggie’s far more alright than Betty first assumed. Sure she’s loud and thinks she knows far more than she actually does, but who hasn’t been like that in their time, you know? (Except maybe Kate). Reggie’s fairly fun to spend time with all told. She likes good music and says hilarious things to Lorna that no one else could get away with. Betty’s spat half her beer back into her glass a couple of times now when trying not to laugh. 

Lorna makes them work the line together constantly and nods approvingly at them when she sees them well-coordinated. She makes impromptu speeches about their team work to the rest of the girls on more than one occasion. 

Betty’s house is big for one person. She rattles around in it a little and thinks a bit about asking Kate if she wants to come live with her. But this house was about striking out for independence, for doing it for yourself. Besides, Kate comes with baggage (and more importantly, fiancés) these days and Betty doesn’t want that for her perfect new house. 

It turns out the bigness of the house diminishes slightly once Lorna’s chairs and side lamp and Gladys’s decadent curtains arrive. Reggie carries the bedside table over the threshold on her back, hair held back by a scarf, like on work days, but with stray ends flying loose across her face. She deposits the table in the middle of the bedroom and wipes her hand across her brow, messing her hair up further. Betty’s always been one for noticing the hair and she hasn’t noted Reggie’s before. 

Reggie sees her looking, is looking back, all challenge and interest and Betty feels like she’s starting to recognise that look. She hopes anyway. 

“Lorna sent me over with this,” Reggie says, redundantly. 

“I’m really grateful,” Betty replies, letting her eyes slide down to watch Reggie’s mouth. 

“I’ll tell Lorna,” the lips promise.

“No I mean to you too, for bringing it here, you didn’t have to.”

“It was no trouble,” Shoulders shrug, dragging Betty’s eyes down over a smooth neck. She forces herself to look back up into Reggie’s eyes, can’t help noticing the slight blush on her cheeks. 

“I think Mr Corbett’s coming home soon,” Reggie says, apropos of something, “and Stella and Lorna have been getting on much better lately.”

There’s a pause a mile long. Betty can take a hint.

“You’ll be wanting somewhere else to stay then?” She enquires.

“I think Lorna would prefer it, not that she’d say so,” Reggie sounds a little defensive about it. 

“Course not,” Betty agrees distractedly, “Well, there’s plenty of space here for you if you need a place. Will need you to pay your way mind, mortgage ain’t cheap and all.” 

“You know what I get paid, you charge what you think is fair and I’ll be happy.” Betty notes the flicker of Reggie’s eyes to her mouth, and the way she shifts her balance nervously. 

“Alright, let me get set up and we can move you in next week. This is my place mind, I’ll respect you as my lodger but you gotta know I’ve got my own rules and expectations if you’re gonna be living here.” 

Reggie rolls her eyes heavily, like she’s used to hearing these kinds of lectures, and it kind of makes Betty regret giving it. “But you think of it as your own too,” she qualifies. 

The next week Lorna brings round a casserole dish and some china that looks suspiciously like a wedding set. “From Bob’s mother,” she explains, clearly thrilled to be getting rid of it, before she moves straight on to inviting them both for dinner. 

Reggie elbows Betty in the ribs as they follow Lorna out the door and Betty can’t help herself grinning bewilderedly back at her.


End file.
